Pressure-reducing valve unit



June 22, 1943. c. D. P. srmALLlx-:xce: ET AL. 2,322,480

PRES SURE -REDUC ING VALVE UNIT Filed Aug. 6, 1941 i I3. l a

4 .l2 L" l J 7 i s 1f Z9 l J3 27 2f jf JZ .e4 zf l fr l frwenz'ors Q5@ ZZ fmaifpezlc@ Patented June 22, 1943 PRESSURE-REDUCING YLVE UNIT Cosby Donald Philipps Smallpeice'and Charles Edward Cnrzons, Marton, near Rugby, England; said Curzons assignor to said Smallpeice Application August 6,A 1941,- Serial No. 405,712 In Great Britain June 19, 1941 (Cl. 50,--23l 1 Claim.

This invention relates to a pressure-reducing valve unit of the kind in which the uid to be controlled is admitted under pressure tc a chamber, -closed by a. diaphragm, through a valvey the movable element of which is vspring-pressed in the opening direction and is moved in the closing direction by the diaphragm when the pressure in the chamber reaches a predetermined value.

An important object of the invention is to provide a compact unit of 'this kind, which will be of light weight.

A further object is to provide an inexpensive unit, of which the parts will be capable of long life before renewal becomes necessary.

` A further object is to arrange the movable valve element to be carried by a tubular member which is slidably guided in the body'of the unit and is attached to the diaphragm, the seat (through or past which the fluid pressure is admitted) for the valve element being to one side of the slidable member and the opening spring bei-ng disposed in the interior of the latter. Preferably one end of the spring acts against an adjustable stop, extending into the adjacent end of the slidable member, by means of which the fluid pressure in the chamber may be regulated.

A further object is to arrange for the end of the chamber remote from the diaphragm to be closed by-a plate incorporating a reservoir for lubricant, a wick extending from the reservoir into the chamber. Y

A still further object is to arrange the body of the unit to be of substantially square section, one face, for example, that opposite the admission port for the fluid pressure, having the main control valve, which may, of course, be single-acting or double-acting and is preferably of the rotary type, and another face having a pressure gauge.

For a better understanding of these and other objects and advantages of the invention attention should be directed -to the following descrip- `tion, in which reference is made to the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a unit adapted according to the invention, with the handle of the main control valve shown in the neutral position;

Figure 2 is a similar but fragmentary view, to a smaller scale, with the handle turned toan operatlve position; and

Figure 3 is mainly a vertical section therethrough, but with the end plate carrying the lubricating means shown in sectional elevation, the section being on the line III-IH of Figure 1.

body II of substantially square cross-section, the body being open at its ends. At one of these is mounted the diaphragm I2, this being clamped against the adjacent end of the body by means of-a cover plate I3 secured as by screws. The other end is closed by a plate I4 incorporating a reservoir I5 for lubricant, and extending from the reservoir is a wick I6 which hangs down into the adjacent portion of the chamber I1 in the interior of the body of theunit. On one face of the body is disposed a pressure gauge I8, whilst the main control valve I9 is arranged in an adjacent face. On the face opposite the main control valve is disposed the admission port 2I for the fluid to be controlled. This may be supplied at any convenient pressure above atmospheric-for example, say 80 lbs. per square inch-and, as will be well understood, it is the object of the unit to drop this pressure to a predetermined value which is, of course, greater than atmosphericfor example, to a gauge pressure of 5 or 6 lbs. per

^ square inch.

In the arrangement illustrated the unit has a In the inlet passage 22 is disposed a bush 23 providing a seat for a leather or like disc 24 which constitutes the movable element of the pressuredrop valve, this movable element being carried by a bracket 25. In Figure 3 the pressure-drop valve is shown closed. The bracket 25 is bolted at 26 to a thimble member 21, the latter and the bracket 25 serving for clamping the internal flange of a tubular slidable member 28. At its other end the latter is secured to the diaphragm I2, being flanged as' shown at 29 for the purpose. The slidable member 28 is guided in an appropriate bore of the body of the unit.

Extending through the cover plate I3 and into the diaphragm end of the slidable member 28 is an adjustment screw 3l carrying a lock' nut l2 and engaging a plug 33 which serves as an abutment for a compression spring 3l disposed in the interior of the slidable member and actngagainst the end thereof which carries the movable valve element 24. This spring is the opening spring, biasing the movable valve element 24 raway from its seat. In such conditions the applied iiuid pressure is admitted through the admission port 2| into the chamber I1 and the rising pressure therein acting against the diaphragm causes the movement of the slidable member 28 in the direction necessary to close the pressure-drop valve when an appropriate pressure is reached in the chamber. Adjustment of thev value of this pres#y sure can be effected by rotation of the screw Il when the lock nut 32 has been released, as will be' well understood.

In. the present instance the end plate I4 is formed with a,y cup-shaped portion 35 which houses a compression spring 36 serving for biasing the movable valve element' 24 inthe closing direc-- tion. Obviously, the compression spring 36 is much lighter than the compression spring 24.

Moreover, the main control valve is in this` instance shown as a two-way valve. \Thus. in

the stationary plate 31 secured as by screws l latter has'spacedV lugs 44 thereon to coact with a. stop-pin 45 carried` by the plate 31. Moving the'handle in the appropriate direction, to bring the corresponding lug 44`against the stop-pin 45, will move the bore 46 in the rotary valve element into alignment with the axial bore 38, as shown vby Figure 2, thus supplying the associated discharge pipe 40. In the meantime the other axial bore 39 will be coacting with the adjacent end of an arcuate surface groove Y41 in the rotary element 4I, the groove'41 communicating between itsv ends with an exhaust outlet 43i in the plate 31, as shown by Figure 2. Conversely,

when moving the handle to bring the other lug 44 in'to contact with the stop-pin 45 the said one axial bore. 38 will be inv a position to exhaust through the other end of the arcuate surface groove 41, and the said other, axial bore 39 will be in alignment with the bore reduced uid. pressure.

Non only canine ,pai-ts o'f'this unitbernexpensively manufactured, butfthe unit' is very compact'and capable of vWorking satisfactorily for a long period Without attention. Obviously, it is immaterial Whetherit is4 used to control a liquid or aY gaseous fluid under pressure.

46 to receive the What we claimas our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States n diaphragm carrying wall of the body and secur ing the diaphragm in position, a tubular member having one end secured to the diaphragm with its bore coinciding with the opening in the diaphragm and being slidably supported in said body, said body having an inlet port disposed adjacent the tubular member at one side thereof', a bracket carried by the tubular member and having apressure-drop valve movable with said tubular member to close and open said inlet port, a second cover .plate closing the other open wall ofthe body, a spring carried by the second cover plate and engaging the tubular member and bracket to urge the bracket. and its valve to the closed position of the valve, a stronger spring disposed within said tubular member, a tension adjusting member extending through said rst named cover plate and diaphragm and engaging the spring within the tubular member, said stronger spring being opposed to the first named spring and urging the tubular member, bracket and valve to the open position of the valve,` said tension adjusting member extending exteriorly of the body and cover plate, said second cover plate being removably secured to the body and having a lubricant chamber therein accessible' from the exterior of the body, and a wick extending through the cover plate into the body chamber.

COSBY DONALD PHTLJPPS SMALLPEICE. l CHARLES EDWARD CURZONS. 

